Centre County food truck generating buzz for affordable menu, stops in rural areas

When mother-son duo Barb Mitchell and Jared Mitchell-Grant came across a good deal on a food truck, they decided to go after their lifelong dream of running their own business.

“We couldn’t pass it up,” Barb said of the opportunity.

However, that first food truck wasn’t an ideal fit. The grill was on the exterior, for instance, hindering their ability to take their operation out in the winter. As such, when they came across a newer, better-outfitted option, they upgraded and launched Bar-Bees Lunchbox food truck last year.

Now, the two can be found manning the food truck on weekends and at special events throughout central Pennsylvania and beyond, with a little help from the rest of the family.

The food truck’s branding is all bee-themed, a creative choice that came about when Jared combined his mother’s nickname (“Barbie”) with an old email address (“busybee”).

“We put the hyphen in the middle and we end up with ‘Bar-Bees,’” he said, “and since [the food truck] is a box, we said ‘Lunchbox.’”

The Bar-Bees Lunchbox menu centers around a range of cheesesteaks, subs, wraps and hot dogs, but no matter what customers order, they can reliably expect affordability, Barb said. The food truck’s prices are one of the key elements that make Bar-Bees Lunchbox stand out from other food trucks in Happy Valley, she said.

Additionally, she and Jared focus on getting out to communities, such as Snow Shoe, that might not receive as much attention from other food trucks.

The result has been a loyal following of customers that track the business’s whereabouts, before heading out to enjoy some of the most popular menu items, including the Texas hot dogs, topped with jalapenos and Barb’s homemade Texas sauce; walking tacos, which include Doritos topped with Texas sauce, lettuce, diced tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, ranch, sour cream and taco sauce; and the Big Mac wrap, a wrap version of the McDonald’s classic. (As for Jared and Barb, their personal favorites include the Cowboy cheesesteak, with its buffalo twist, and the Texas hot dogs.)

“We’re always playing around with the [menu], trying to think of different things we can make,” Barb said. “We added a funnel cake shortly after starting, and now there’s the walking taco and the Big Mac wraps. We’re always adding things.”

Barb has worked as a cook since she was 14, and currently works at the Clarence Moose Lodge, while Jared works in an addiction treatment facility. The food truck allows them to keep their current roles while operating Bar-Bees Lunchbox on the weekends. That is until they’re able to eventually achieve their ultimate goal: a brick-and-mortar restaurant with an expanded menu, while simultaneously keeping the food truck on hand for events, such as the sports tournament in West Virginia that they recently attended.

“I like going to different locations. I think it’s fun — and people coming and telling you how good your food is ... it makes you feel good, so you want to keep doing it,” Barb said.

Follow Bar-Bees Lunchbox on Facebook to keep tabs on where you can find the business in the coming weeks.

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.